Homeowners pressure legislators over tax cut

House, Senate are far apart on proposals

TALLAHASSEE — As more than 400 angry homeowners, including two busloads from Broward County, rallied outside the state Capitol for property tax relief, lawmakers on Tuesday struggled to work their way out of a tax-cut jam.

House and Senate tax-cut plans are out of sync with one another that some lawmakers are predicting the 60-day legislative session will conclude May 4 without a deal.

"We may need to settle all this in a special session because not only are we not on the same page but we are in different books and the books are written differently," said Sen. Steve Geller, a Cooper City Democrat. "I've not seen any movement toward [agreement]. I've only seen hardening of positions."

Residents traveled on buses from South Florida to join a loud and feisty rally on the steps off the Old State Capitol. The crowd was lighter than predicted but included about 50 people who traveled from Boca Raton and West Palm Beach, as well as a busload from Fort Lauderdale.

From Broward County, the crowd included Ben Wood, 35, of Coral Springs, a hospital pharmacist and Democratic voter who owns two rental properties in Sunrise. Taxes on those properties have doubled, he said, in the past four years. Taxes on one of the properties skyrocketed from $1,100 to $2,000, he said. He also said he's unwilling to raise the rents he charges because he fears his tenants can't afford to pay more.

Local governments have caused the tax troubles, said Wood, who has said he has witnessed extravagant local government spending without seeing much in additional services.

"We need relief now, not waiting a couple of years down the road," Wood said.

The visitors from Broward also included Ruben Sondon, 72, a retiree from a bakery supply sales business who bought a home in Miramar in 2003. "We have to reduce the property tax," Sondon said. "Nobody can pay the taxes and the insurance."

The protests came as House leaders dug in their heels and prodded the full House to give preliminary approval to a plan that changes the state constitution and calls on voters to eliminate all property taxes in exchange for a 40 percent increase in the state's sales tax.

South Florida Democrats said that the tax cuts would deliver the largest sales tax increase of its kind in state history and would do little to bring relief to businesses and renters.

But House Republicans dismissed as insignificant the Democrats' criticisms and boosted to $35 billion over five years their estimate for the overall tax savings statewide under their plan.

Senators, meanwhile, toughened their stance as they put finishing touches on a more modest proposal that slices property taxes statewide by about $13 billion over five years.

The Senate strategy was made ready for a full Senate vote this week after being approved by the Senate Finance and Tax Committee, where lawmakers heard angry opposition to their plans from local government officials.

Gov. Charlie Crist gave only vague hints that he doesn't think the Senate plan cuts deeply enough. Crist, though, also hasn't signaled support for swapping property tax relief for a sales tax increase.

"More is better in terms of reduction," Crist told reporters. "The people of Florida are angry... They want as much relief as we can give."

Mark Hollis can be reached at mhollis@sun-sentinel.com or 850-224-6214.